Do Not Resuscitate - Chapter I
by Aoric
Summary: A Divergent fic that follows the story of Dominik Alrekur. This takes place before the Divergent series and eventually overlaps it. I hope you all enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

I was born into a world of black and white. Everything seemed corrupted, everything seemed...fake. Amity was supposed to be the faction of peace, but everyone was too happy here to be real. Dad told me about the peace serum in the bread, and I actively avoided it. Maybe that's why everything seemed so bleak and fake to me. Or maybe I'm just different. Difference is not tolerated well here, so I hide it.

Everyone in my family knew I was turning 16 soon, and it was the tradition to remain in Amity even if our test results should say different. The bulk of us mostly stayed in our faction, and the ones who are defiant were disowned. Nobody recently committed that crime, but I was sure preparing myself for it. Amity is full of fakes, and I am not one of them.

"Jesus f_u_cking Christ!" I lurched up, my head pounding and throbbing from last night. Today was my first official day of being 16, but it felt like I was middle aged. For many days now my head has been wracked with fears of choosing between the factions, and it was soon causing me worse and worse headaches. Not to mention, the Amity lifestyle certainly didn't help me. How could I be peaceful when I was in so much pain?

The day started off like any other. I slid out of my bed, dressed myself, combed what hair I had, and walked out the door. Hygiene was mostly done at night, but all the necessities were things I never forgot to accomplish. My room was rather simple. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk where many pictures hung along the bulletin board, and a closet where all my clothes were. It was simple, but I liked simplicity.

As I descended the stairs into the kitchen, the smell of breakfast filled my nose and caused my mouth to water. My mother was exceptionally good at making breakfast, for most her time was spent as a cook for the whole Amity faction during public feasts. I inhaled slightly, and began to walk towards the table, where my father and younger brother already sit, waiting.

It seemed, even with his head stuck in the paper, my dad was aware of my presence before I even sat down, and his brows furrowed as he spoke in his gruff voice; "Good morning, Dominik."

"Good morning, pa," I reply, my voice monotone due to the early morning. Today was the day of the aptitude tests, and it was something I dreaded the most. My younger brother, Wren, still had two years to go before he would have to choose, and my father has already given me the talk to set a good example for him. No matter what I got on my aptitude test, I was set for Amity. But what I really wanted.. I wanted something different. I wanted something new, something that could draw me in.

I was always the smartest kid in my class, and the most agile in the field. I was both selfless and kind, as well as honest. In me I saw all five factions, but of course we could only be one. I was nothing special. I just blew up everything little thing I did. Life wasn't hard within the walls of Amity and I didn't mind spending my time here, but it wasn't the lifestyle I desired.

Every day was the same, nothing ever changed. In Abnegation, nothing ever changed. In Candor, nothing ever changed. The Dauntless were reckless and stupid, and the Erudite were cocky. Everything appealed to me, but so did nothing at all. Maybe I'll just end up being factionless, I thought with a roll of my eyes. However, a voice caught me off guard, "Son, answer your father."

I glanced towards my mother, who took a break from her cooking to turn her gaze towards me. My brows quirked, and I glanced towards my dad who even took his paper down, staring at me as if I were crazy. I glanced to the side, my face heating up slightly. "I'm sorry, I was thinking."

"No thinking is needed, son." My father chuckled, but there was a haunting edge to his voice. Despite this being Amity, it seemed he was the complete opposite. His demeanor on the outside was jolly, but I could always sense the hidden animosity in his voice. "We already know you're going to choose Amity, I mean, who hasn't? You belong here with your family, Dominik."

Yeah, right. I bite my lip and nod my head along with his statement, but I continued to drift into thought. What will I choose? Maybe I could avoid drama if I stayed in Amity; but oh, how I desired so much more.

As soon as breakfast was over, Wren and I went out to do our normal daily duties. Our family owned a garden near the outskirts of the Amity compound, and we tended to it every day. Both of our parents worked day after day, all day long. My father worked for the government, and our mother worked for Amity's higher-ups. During these days, even the day of the Aptitude test, we were consequently alone. That is, until it's time to head to the city.

I leaned over to look at Wren, who was busy plowing into a new field that we had harvested just recently, preparing it for the next crop. My hand reached out, and grabbed his shoulder. He shuddered at the touch, as if scared, but turned his head towards me, "What is it, Dom?"

I forget how fragile he is sometimes. Wren was born sickly, and did not often take well to surprises. His heart condition worsened whenever he was in the city, in the fumes and in the hectic life. That's why he commonly stayed in the Amity compound, home schooled by out mother and tested by an Erudite teacher, who traveled to our faction specifically for him.

I was jealous of him. He never had seen life outside of Amity save a few times, and it would not be difficult for him to make a decision. But then again, I wasn't him, and I didn't know what goes through his head. With a gentle sigh, I shake his head, "Today is the test, and I want you to know, that whatever I get and whatever I choose, I will always love you."

Wren gave a slight smile. Despite our closeness, he was completely ignorant. What I said seemed to be reassurance for him, but it was mostly me trying to tell him that I wasn't going to be in Amity anymore, most likely. That I was going away and betraying my family. But was I just going to say that to him right then and there? I could be considered a murderer if I did such-perhaps by giving the poor boy a heart attack just from my bluntness.

Instead, I shake my head, and offer him a grin of my own. We get back to work, and soon I forget about everything I just said. Or tried to say.

Soon, the time to leave was upon me, and my parents waved me off as the bus came to pick me up. The road was dirt for the most part, and kicked up dirt behind the bus as we headed towards the gates. On our sides I could see many Amity members plowing in the fields and playing with one another, occasionally waving us off as we went by. Then we got to the gates. The drive checked with the guards, and they let us in-the Dauntless ruled this territory. Their gruff appearance normally made me sick to my stomach, but it also intrigued me. I certainly was not cut out for that faction.

As we began to ventured into the city, the landscape changed. The fields of grass began to turn into concrete, and buildings began to spring up from the ground, getting taller and mightier as the bus continued on. I knew this area well, I rode it every day, but because we were the outer faction we had to stop and pick up Erudite as well. Abnegation and Candor rode one bus together, and the Dauntless took the train. Although it was crowded, I was thankful we weren't all riding one bus together.

The bus came to a slow stop at Erudite's headquarters, and the teens began filling up the bus. As of late, many of the factions haven't had many kids due to an outbreak of diseases; parents feared for their young infants and thus temporarily stopped. However, Erudite soon found a cure and it was demolished. Our generation was the smallest recorded generation in all of the faction's history. And even as Erudite began to fill up the bus, there were still a few empty seats shared between the two factions.

A bright-haired Erudite girl sat next to me, her nose stuck in a book. My eyes couldn't help but wander on the pages, sneaking in every word I could. I watched it for a good ten minutes, but for the past ten minutes she had no turned a single page. Were Erudite slow readers? However, a cough caught me off guard, and I glanced as the girl crinkled her nose, "Done yet?"

My hand cautiously tugs at the collar of my yellow shirt, tugging at it slightly and grunting lightly. My reply was slow yet shaky, "Y..yeah. Sorry, I was curious as to what you were reading."

At first she seemed skeptical, but then she offered a smile and flipped to the cover of the book, keeping her finger wedge between where her place was. Her eyes glinted with a desire to suck in knowledge-it was a glint I rather enjoyed. On the cover read "Psychology of Human Emotions", which was certainly something that caught my attention. Perhaps she was looking into becoming a doctor, or perhaps one of the scientists working in the aptitude test department.

With a slight chuckle, she brushed her hair behind her ear and caught my eyes. The shine in her glasses threw me off but I could tell that her eyes were a glassy gray, but attractive nonetheless. No, I would never be attracted to an Erudite girl. I was Amity, I could not let infatuation alter any decision I might make. Her voice was surprisingly soft, and held a deep tone to it, "My, my.. you seem like someone who belongs in Erudite. Your curiosity certainly extends past most of my classmates."

I chuckle slightly, trying to sound interested. Although I'm sure someone as smart as her (or at least she looked very smart to me) would be able to see the lie I hid in my choking voice. Yet, I continued on to say, "Perhaps so. We will see what the Aptitude test has to say, aye?"

Her giggle was sweet, feather-light on my ears, and it drew me in. My hand so desperately wanted to reach for her own, but I reminded myself; Erudite are known for their manipulative behavior. Don't let her get to you. She adjusts her glasses and pulls her hand from the book, before shifting it into my lap, "Here, I think you'll like this better than me. But you'd better not let your Amity buddies see it, they might think you're betraying them."

We both laughed on that one, and I shuffled the book under my bag, which I brought with me occasionally and filled it with food to give to anyone who felt hungry. It was part of Amity chivalry. I whisper a slight thanks, before grabbing an apple from my bag and sliding it into her own hands, "And have this, too. Picked fresh."

She gratefully accepted it, and placed it in her own bag. We neared the Hub, and my attention was diverted from her towards the tall building. No matter how many times I visited this place, it was still new to me. The height she sheer and it seemed to touch the clouds, and it impressed me even after sixteen years of coming here. I was interrupted from my viewing when the girl tugged on my shoulder sleeve.

I turn back and stare towards her with quirked brows, but her face held an innocent look to it. It was completely different from before; she could change within a second, and it not only caught my attention and sparked curiosity, but it also frightened me. He lips moved in unison, a perfect dance as her words sang off her lips; "My name is Jeanine Matthews, by the way."

Shaking off my apparent worry, I grin and scratch the back of my head, chuckling softly. Ah yeah, names. Although my voice wasn't as nearly as grown-up as her own, I reply back with a certain low tone in it: "Dominik Alrekur."

Jeanine and I had to depart when we got off the bus, and were respectively grouped with our own factions. We lined the tables that kept us with our own groups, and we began our normal games and such. The Dauntless were rowdy as usual, the Candor debating god knows what, the Erudite reading and discussing, and the Abnegation quietly staringamongeach other.

It was weird, how each faction could be so different although each one of us were all the same in a sense. Well, we were all human. I had glanced over to Jeanine, who had her nose in another book-she must have brought two, I thought quietly to myself with a chuckle. However, hands clapped in my face and caught me off guard. Before me stood an Amity boy I hardly knew, smirking lightly, "Hey, Stiff, stop making googly eyes at the Erudite!"

The people are our table gave a slight laugh; they had insulted me in two ways. A Stiff was referred to as a member of Abnegation, and of course I'm betraying my faction by taking interested in the Erudite. Nevertheless, they were just teasing, and I was never bothered by that. I grin, turning back towards the boy, "Perhaps you need to start learning from the Erudite soon, mister failing-math-class."

The crowd gave a slight 'ooh', and the boy chuckled and backed off. There were no hard feelings between Amity, as peace was kept between us and any hard feelings and fighting never went without punishment. Boys will be boys, no matter what faction. My eyes wander over to a group of Abnegation boys, who quietly prod at their lunch, offering it to anyone who seemed hungrier. Well, I thought slowly to myself, most boys.

Time had passed by and I didn't even notice my name being called until someone tapped my shoulder, telling me to head up. I stood up, fixed my shirt, and began to walk towards the testing rooms. Abnegation did all the testing, and I was thankful for that, because I would much rather be with Abnegation than the Dauntless or Erudite testers-Abnegation seemed the softest when it came to things like these.

I walked into the room and saw a young woman there, her lips curved into a welcoming grin. The room was covered in mirrors, and I could see myself from all different sides. My body was well-built from being in the field all day, but a few scars flawed my skin, and my chin was a bit too stubby. My ears were big, too. Ignoring my appearance, I turned towards the woman and quirked my brows somewhat. She was.. extremely young. As if just a year ago she had joined the faction. But maybe I was underestimating her.

I saw a chair, and I hesitated to get into it, but the woman silently coaxed me into it, reassuring me with incoherent whispers. Maybe my head was spinning to hard, or my heart was pounding my ears and blocked my hearing, but as her lips moved, no words came out. This is it, I get no second chances. This will be the decider of things. I settle my back against the chair, and the last thing I hear before the lady hands me a liquid is: "Drink this, and do your best."

I nod once, and I pour the liquid into my mouth, swallowing it in one large gulp. I twinged at the taste, but before I could complain my eyes began to flutter closed, and I drifted off into a light sleep. Then, the test began.


	2. Chapter 2

The room was dark. It was hard to see, but eventually I could see a table. There were two baskets-one held cheese, one held a knife. A woman murmured behind me, her voice dark and haunting. It reminded me somewhat of Jeanine, but she didn't have a face to look at, a youthful and innocent face to remind me that she had no intention of hurting me.

"Choose". Her words echoed in my head, and it took me a while to comprehend. Without thinking, I reached for the knife, and clasped it between my fingers. No Amity would ever reach for the knife, and I knew that, but I also knew that something was coming, and a knife could solve a situation even cheese couldn't. When my fingers clutched the blade, both the table, the baskets, and the woman all disappeared.

That is when I heard it. A low growling rung in my ears, and I turned around to see a dog baring his teeth. His lips were slathered in a foam-like substance, and he took a few steps forwards. His hackles were risen and he was launched for attack, and I knew exactly what needed to happen. But I would never harm a dog. Instead, I lowered myself onto the ground, and watched him carefully. I assumed the best submission pose I could-rolling on my back, resting my body, steadying my breath..

It worked. The dog calmed itself and slowly trekked towards me, his jaws hanging ajar and his tongue hanging from his mouth. With a wide smile, I ran my fingers along his head and pet him gently. However, he stopped. Immediately, his eyes flared with a fiery rage as a voice rung in my ears: "Come here, doggy!"

In front of us was a little girl, her arms stretching out widely as she welcomed the dog. Without thinking, I immediately grabbed the dog's collar and kept him from launching, my eyes glancing into the girl's. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out until she neared, and the dog gave out a vicious bark. Speak, speak! My breath hitched in my throat, and the dog tugged until my knuckles turned white. I couldn't speak, I couldn't speak, I couldn't do it.

Instinctively, my free hand reached forwards, and when the dog's teeth clamped shut in another ferocious bark, it landed on my hand.

I was brought back into the room with a gasp, leaning forwards and clutching my chest. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, and the Abnegation woman seemed perplexed for a moment. Then, she smiled, "Congratulations, Dominik Alrekur. You show the most potential for Abnegation."

I didn't really expect that. My brows furrowed slightly as I began to calm down. Abnegation doesn't grab a knife, I was sure that would have sealed off the deal for that. Yet.. why? What did I do that decided Abnegation? I had the right to ask-this woman could know my results so I had to take this chance. My breath held in my throat, but my voice came out surprisingly calm, "How?"

.

She glanced to the screen beyond the chair, as if studying the results. I could see myself perform exactly what I did, and she seemed to control the video from a remote in her hand. She zoomed to the part where I chose the knife, and paused there. Her voice was soft as she explained, a certain joy held behind it even she couldn't hide, seeing as I was fit to join her faction. Perhaps the Abnegation were somewhat selfish after all. "As you see here, you chose the knife, which ruled out Amity and added the possibility of Dauntless."

Then she zoomed forwards to where I bowed to the submitted to the dog, and lowered myself against the ground, pausing right there. "This ruled in Erudite, but because the execution was rather sloppy and it took a moment to work, it was also ruled out. Although I can tell you are a very smart man," She chuckled at this, and zoomed to where I had grasped the dog's collar and opened my mouth to speak, "Because you didn't attack the dog with the knife, that ruled out Dauntless, and because you didn't tell the girl that the dog was dangerous, that ruled out Candor."

Last but not least was Abnegation. So far, I was fit for no faction, until I did what I did. I reached my hand forwards and pressed it into the dog's mouth, having it bite me instead of the girl. She paused the screen again, and when she did her eyes lit up in admiration; "And this is where you displayed aptitude for Abnegation, when you selflessly sacrificed your hand for the protection of the girl."

I nodded, thanked her, and walked out. That was all I needed. Perhaps, maybe, Abnegation was the place where I needed to go. To join the Stiffs, as they say, where they live selflessly in quiet homes, in a quiet town with a quiet family. It wasn't all too appealing, but at least it wasn't fake.

The bus ride home was long and excruciating. Another Amity boy sat beside me, and was unwilling to give up his seat for Jeanine. Stuck alone, I was forced to think about my test results. I imagined myself in Abnegation gray, how their clothes would loosely hug my body, and my hair would be cut even shorter than it already is. Ha, maybe it would be a better look for me.

My appearance was rather gruff for Amity; my constant activity sometimes proved reckless whenever I fell and scraped myself, or ended up cutting skin. I even went as far as impaling a garden tool into my hand once when we were playing a game when I was younger. Most teased me about this and said I should join Dauntless, but I would like to think that the Abnegation clothing would hide it as well.

It took even longer to get home than it took to get to the Hub, and as we neared the familiar green fields of the Amity compound, I began to feel a sense of dread I didn't have in the city. Now I would have to face my parents, and I knew they would demand what I got on the test. My cousin told his father he had gotten Candor on his test, and was scorned immediately, even after he said he would choose Amity. Despite the peace and fairness living in this faction was supposed to bring, our family was unnaturally violent and strict.

The bus dropped us off, and as the group began to walk into the compound, we dispersed to our own families and our own homes. I was one of the first ones to leave the group, since my house was near the gate, but the walk home was lonely. It took me what seemed like an eternity to reach the house, and when I opened the door I saw my family gathered in the living room, bright smiles on their faces. I had to admit, when they weren't being scary they were a real close family. We were a real close family.

I thought for a moment that maybe I should choose Amity and stay with my family. I have managed to live here for 16 years, what would another 60 or so do? If I lived that long, I thought to myself with a quiet chuckle. I neared them and they patted me on the back, their eyes glinting with pride. Wren and I were jealous of each other sometimes, but we knew we got even attention from both parents. Mom and dad were proud of me for being a well-rounded student and Amity citizen, and they were proud of Wren just for being alive. They both were prideful of us, and they certainly liked to boast.

But if I chose Abnegation, they would have nothing to boast about except their son who betrayed them, and their sickly little boy. I furrowed my brows as they directed me to sit down, distracting myself from thinking to answer their questions. I needed to put my full attention into this, or something could slip and they would end up scorning me like my cousin was.

As we all settled down, my mother took the first turn and began bombarding me with simple questions first. Such as how was your day, did anything exciting happen, and other basic stuff. The air grew more serious with every question, tension building and building with every delicate word spoken from my mother's mouth. Then, my father asked;

"What did you get on your Aptitude test? I'm sure it was Amity, for my son would never be good anywhere except here with his family," he smiled wickedly, his words sounding proud, but it was meant to belittle me. That's right, I'm nothing without my family. Being somewhat defiant, I bit my lip and glanced to the side, "This isn't Candor, da, and I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

He chuckled and grabbed my shoulder, giving it a rough squeeze with a gentle laugh. I knew how to trick my dad, and I knew that with my statement ruling another faction out, he would be more than convinced I had gotten Amity. But I didn't. I got Abnegation, and that is what seemed to be where I belonged.

My mother, on the other hand, quirked her thin brows curiously; she seemed to have caught onto my plan, although she didn't know I had gotten Abnegation. She probably thought I had gotten Amity, just wanted to avoid the subject because I wanted to remain prideful. She was smart, but not that smart. Wren was clasping onto her hand tightly, his eyes watching me with admiration. That's right, if I chose Abnegation, he would lose any pride he had in me. Perhaps disown me as his brother.

Wren was perhaps the one person whom I really cared for in Amity; I would never leave his side ever since he was born. It was painful for me to say goodbye every morning when I had to commute to the city, but he would always be there when I got home, and we would work in the garden the rest of the night until dinner, and we would part again only in our sleep. Would he think I've changed if I chose Abnegation? Would he hate me?

Or would he follow me to Abnegation?


	3. Chapter 3

Dawn approached rather quickly the next morning, and I was awoken by my mother, who was already dressed and ready to go. Today was the day of the Choosing Ceremony, and we would all leave extra early to get the seats we wanted. Although this was the biggest event of a child's life, it felt more like a baseball game to my parents.

I quickly dressed and got myself ready to go, heading down to eat a quick breakfast before we headed out. Today the breakfast we had was different than yesterday's. It was rather stale, as if cooked last night so we could eat and leave quickly. It wasn't the kind of breakfast I was hoping to be my last. Of course, my parents didn't know I was going to choose Abnegation. But I didn't know, either.

We rode the bus towards the Hub, this time only Amity riding because all the parents had to come as well. The roads were bumpy until we neared the tall tower, and soon began to thin out. Wren sat on my left and my mother on my right, my dad standing and holding onto the railings above his head as he watched over us. He had reminded me that morning to remain calm and quiet; "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can make dinner." he had said to me.

But maybe he would only be making dinner for three tonight. I ignored the casual speech between my folks as we neared the Hub, and eventually we got off with the rest of Amity and head into the building. The Abnegation took the stairs, as usual, and we placed ourselves in the elevator with a group of Candor. They were blabbering about their test results-the only faction allowed to tell their results because they could not lie. It seemed everyone was going to remain in their own faction, but then again who would want to say out loud that they were betraying their family to go to another faction?

The saying rung in my head that we learned in school, but it never truly meant something to me until now. "Faction before blood".That's right, if I were to choose Abnegation, or hell, any other faction, my family could do nothing about it even if they wanted to. My decision is my decision, and if they won't tolerate me for it then that is their problem. My eyes glanced over to Wren and I frowned slightly. But they might take it out on him.

He seemed even smaller than normal compared to the rather tall crowd, and his ashen skin clung loosely to his bony frame. Dark circles hung under his eyes from waking up so early (even ten minutes before normal could ruin the bright green that made his demeanor seem lively compared to the rest of him). He would not be able to stand working in the garden alone, and he would not be able to function without his big brother.

I felt duty to Wren, but I also felt duty to myself. The Abnegation were selfless, but right now I was being selfish. If I were to choose Amity, my selflessness would be optimal for Abnegation, but I would have already chosen Amity. And if I were to choose Abnegation, my selfishness would prove that I am unworthy for them. It was a paradox, and it made my head hurt. If I were to choose Erudite, it would not be a very intelligent decision to leave my sickly brother alone with angry parents, and if I chose Candor..well, I never liked Candor. Not to mention I wasn't a very honest person sometimes. If I were to choose Dauntless, it would be an act of courage no one would have ever seen. No one from the Alrekur family ever chose Dauntless. If they chose any other faction than Amity, it was always Candor or Erudite.

The elevator quickly took us to the top floor, and when the small "ding" sounded, we all rushed out of the elevator to our respective seats. I, however, was placed in line with all the rest of the early 16 year-olds. The rows were in alphabetical order, and I was near the first. Everyone knew that the names were always called from Z to A, so I would be one of the last to go. If not the last, except for Kelsie Abhorr, who was also from Amity and a fellow classmate of mine.

Soon the room began to fill up with Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, Abnegation, and Candor, and the line began filling up. Normally we would all be squeezed together, but there was a lack of population in our generation, and there was enough space for me to stretch out my arms. Well, I thought silently to myself as I imagined what it would be like if we were all packed together, it could be worse.

This year it was Abnegation's turn to speak, as it would be once again in five years from now. Marcus was the spokesman for Abnegation as he was every year at every event-he had a natural talent for it, and I imagined that if I were to go to Abnegation that perhaps someday I could be like him. The way he maneuvered across the stages was almost natural, and he stood before the five bowls where our decisions were to be made.

Inside each bowl was an element representing each faction-earth was in Amity's, gray stones in Abnegation's, water in Erudite's, glass for Candor's, and burning coal's for Dauntless. Perhaps that was the reason a cloud of smoke hung around their bowl; the coals were lit and burning fiercely, while the other factions had substances that remained complete still, unmoving, except the subtle stir that was caused by the vibrations everyone's voices caused in the crowd.

Behind Marcus trailed his son; he was close to my age, but not quite there. He barely looked over the age of 13, but trailed behind his father with a blank stare, as if he was used to this routine. I knew that Marcus was teaching his son how to speak, so he could perhaps take his place when he grew of age. We all knew that this leader from Abnegation held his son highly, and treasured him. He looked like the kind of person who would be proud of his child no matter what faction he chose. I wish my parents were the same.

My thoughts were interrupted by Marcus' voice, it was amplified by the microphone that was held closely to his lips, but his voice was quiet enough to keep my ears from ringing. I imagined Johanna speaking in such a way. Her voice was always loud enough to reach every corner of the Amity compound because we hardly used microphones in Amity, and hearing her voice in such a compact room would have caused my ears to bleed. Thankfully she wasn't doing the speech this year.

The crowd grew quiet as Marcus began to speak, "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in this world."

Thank god for that, I mutter quietly. If I were not able to choose I would be forced to wear my fake smile all the time. At least in Abnegation I could scowl if no one was looking. The words he recited were recited in the exact same way every year, as it was written on a script for as long as anybody could remember. At this point, Marcus knew it by heart.

His son clutched his own arm as he began to speak, his eyes watching his father cautiously, curiously.. although he hid it well. I could tell. Curiosity was not allowed in Abnegation, it was considered something of.. vanity, I believe? I wasn't too sure on all their customs, but I figured I would know if I ever to choose the faction. "Our dependents are now sixteen. They stand on the precipice of adulthood, and now it is up to them to decide what kind of people they will be."

Marcus paused to take a breath. "Decades ago our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for the warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality-of humankind's inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world's disarray."

I did not care for each belief. In honesty, I cared about everyone's safety. Whether it be the truth that keeps us fighting or our lack of knowledge, whatever anyone believed; I cared not. I cared whether or not we were at war or we were at peace, not the reason for it. It sounded rather blunt and ignorant in my head, but it did not matter now. There was nothing going wrong between the factions.

"Those who blamed aggression formed Amity." Some of the Amity hooted and smiled at one another, nodding their heads. My father caught my eye, and gave a sharp nod. I quickly averted my gaze towards Marcus again, trying not to catch his attention once more. "Those who blamed duplicity created Candor."

No, not Candor. Not ever. I tried to be honest, but lying was definitely a specialty of mine, and it saved me in many situations before.

"Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation."

Selflessness...it seemed right. Selflessness made me want to stay in Amity with my brother, selflessness made me want to protect everyone I could.

"And those who blamed cowardice were the Dauntless."

But selflessness requires courage, and courage is believed to be the root of things. No one could obtain knowledge without courage, no one could tell the truth without a certain bravery. Peace could not be achieved it no one had the courage to turn the other cheek. In my head, Dauntless was the root of things.

My eyes glanced over to the group, who were busy flicking pieces of paper at one another or tugging on each other's arms, wailing and laughing. It was hard to comprehend that I believed them the most. As I was thinking, Marcus had completed his speech and had begun calling names. Thankfully I had caught on before he reached the T's.

Hours seemed to pass as more and more people began to choose. The common trend this time was to remain in one's faction. They were a few transfers, but none chose Abnegation. If I were to choose it, I would be alone. Eventually they called on Jeanine. Proudly, she stalked up the stairs to the stage, and for a second we caught on another's gaze. Giving a swift nod, she grabbed Marcus' knife and cut across her hand rather quickly. Even with silence between us, we communicated with our gestures, our motions, and as she confidently dripped her blood into Erudite's bowl, it turned into an even deeper shade of red.

Our silent conversations ended there, and it was clear she wanted me to join Erudite.

"Dominik Alrekur". Marcus's voice rung clear, still going strong even after a whole hour of calling names. I made the trek towards the platform, and with every step my heart dropped and my breathing sped up, racing with every rise and fall of my chest. Soon, I couldn't even breathe-now was the time. Amity, Abnegation, Erudite. With every step I tried to imagine what every choice would bring. Both the good and the bad.

Amity. Wren.

Marcus handed me the blade and I caught my parent's gaze in the crowd. They looked at me expectantly, waiting for my decision. Wren fiddled with his fingers, gazing at me as well. Life in Amity would provide me the ability to remain the pride and joy of my family. I would be able to work in the garden all day with my brother, and I would be able to oversee him with my parents as he himself chose Amity during his ceremony. I took a step.

Erudite. Jeanine.

I stole a glance at her as she wrapped her hand that was covered in minute traces of blood. When she caught my own gaze she offered me a warm smile, something that made my cheeks turn a bit hot. I had just met this girl and she had some sort of effect on me, but perhaps that was because I never really talked to girls, nor knew any concept of liking or love. I didn't muster up the strength to return her gesture. If I were to head to Erudite, I would be allowed to read whatever book I wanted and I would be able to know everything my mind could hold. There would be no limitations; and perhaps I could get with Jeanine, start a family with her. It was a stable and assured future.

Abnegation. Myself.

The Abnegation watched as I neared their bowl, but I stopped before I could get near it. If I were to join Abnegation, my life would be selfless. I could work my way up the ranks and become a leader. I could become something that could be useful to the people. I could help the factionless and become a speaker just like Marcus. I could start a family and I would be far away from Amity. I would never have to deal with my father or mother. However, my thoughts were disrupted as I glanced over at Marcus' son. I didn't know his name, and I barely knew his face, but the glint in his eyes caught me off guard. Our stare lasted for but a second, but in that second I knew him. I knew about his desire to get out of his family and to start again, to gain a freedom he didn't have before. But to do such requires a sheer act of bravery. I drew the blade to the palm of my hand, blood beginning to bead from the skin.

I closed my eyes, took a breath, and stepped forwards.

Dauntless. _Courage._

My hand was engulfed by the smoke, and my blood drizzled onto the coals, evaporating soon after from the heat.


	4. Chapter 4

The animosity on my parent's faces made me shiver as my hand bled onto the coals. My breath was steady as I avoided their gaze, glancing towards Wren. I saw him only for a second, and his face was clear with curiosity. That's right, he had no real concept of what was going on. He was safe, he wasn't angry. My eyes trailed over to Jeanine, but she wore a happy smile on her face. I returned it somewhat; we both knew the closeness Dauntless and Erudite had for one another, so I figured we'd see each other often.

I stepped down from the platform as the last person got up and chose to remain in Amity, giving the Amity group a bit of light in the sudden darkness I gave them. Despite the rough stares I had gotten from my parents, everyone else seemed find with my decision. I traversed towards the Dauntless group with the other initiates. Although the amount of initiates was small, their group was rather large amount of members. They cheered wildly and began to race out of the building, pushing me along before my parents could get to me.

I was shoved in the crowd until eventually I landed beside a Dauntless member, her hair pinned up and her neck covered with tattoos. I touched my own neck, never having imagined getting one before. It looked cool, but painful to get one. I shrugged it off and focused on making sure I didn't get trampled in the crowd. Thankfully all those years of working in the fields has given me the ability to keep up and push anyone who got in my way. Although I didn't want to shove or hurt someone-that could be bad.

We descended the stairs at a rather hasty pace, and it made my legs hurt. I was used to taking the elevator with the rest of my family-it was too much to climb 20 flights of stairs just to get to somewhere where we would only spend part of our day. It just didn't make sense. But these people...it seemed that they wanted to wreck their leg muscles by sliding down the stairs, jumping from floor to floor in brave leaps. Then I remembered. Right, this is Dauntless.

I could feel feet and hands pressing into my back, urging me to go on. I felt hesitant-I could trip and fall into the masses of people, being trampled until I could no longer walk, or worse, until I died. It felt more like a stampede than a group. Yet I continued, shoving my way through people with small murmurs of "sorry" expelling from my lips. However, I wasn't sure anybody could hear them over the hoots and hollers of the faction surrounding me.

Eventually we reached the bottom of the stairs and flooded out of the tower, separating themselves into the other groups. They're lanky and gruff appearances separated them from the rest, and all seemed to blend into the masses of diversity among us. Yet one thing still seemed distinctively clear-where the rest were heading to their buses and cars, we were heading to the train.

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of jumping into a moving train. I saw them do it daily and honestly thought I'd never do it myself. It was reckless and dangerous, and a typical Dauntless activity. Yet somehow I felt attracted to it. The thrill of danger, the two seconds of adrenaline that would give me the strength to withstand the long and boring ride. I would be able to laugh and joke to my friends with a shaky voice, complimenting their jumps and boasting about my own.

Then the crowd pushed, and we began maneuvering ourselves as a group towards the tracks. Over the horizon came the large, formidable beast that would take me to my new home. It roared with a mechanical chorus, and charged down the train tracks towards us. The people around me, experienced with this, began to bend their legs and straighten their backs. I tried to copy them, but more or less looked like a fool.

My heart began pounding in my ears-it was approaching. I could always back out now but that would render me factionless. There was nothing I could do but take the jump or deal with the consequences, and my time to decide was running very short. The screaming of the train-once attractive, now horrifying-came closer and closer and marked when it was my time to leap.

The Dauntless had already begun to spring into the cars, and the initiates remained until we were singled out. My eyes scanned the train for a perfect time to jump in, and caught the many curious eyes of those who already made their leaps. Of course, they were also glinting with a certain ferocity behind them, as if saying "I dare you".

I was the first initiate to go. My hands reached forwards as my feet sprung off the ground. I had made sure to get a running start before I tried such jump, and I, in no way, perfected it. However I felt a sudden surge of relief as my feet collided with the wooden platform of the train. My jump was messy, but the landing wasn't half bad. It was only when I glanced up and looked around that I noticed I had jumped into the wrong cart.

The initiates behind me waited a few more moments until a lone car came by, and they all sprung sloppily into the car. All of them made it. I sighed, pulling my head back into the cart, and glanced at those surrounding me. There were a mixture of Dauntless-born initiates and their siblings or parents, who were already members. I gulped.

Their eyes scowered me, peeling off every inch of skin until they could see into my bones. The red and yellow outfit I normally wore (as accustomed to Amity tradition) contrasted greatly to their normal hues of obsidian. No one dared utter a single word, and I managed to worm my way towards the edge of the door, making sure nobody was around me so I didn't put myself in danger of anything. I mean, what were they gonna do, hurt me? No.. they wouldn't hurt a fellow faction member.

One of them got up, and began stalking his way towards me. He was gruff, and bigger than the rest of the initiates. Then I thought, well maybe not a faction member, but an initiate. For sure.

His hand lifted from his side, and I couldn't help but flinch slightly at his movements. My own hands brought themselves in front of my face (I hardly knew anything about protection from assault. We never learned it in Amity) and prepared myself to be hit. However, his hand came down on my shoulder and a laugh reverberated throughout the crowd.

I lowered my defenses, although my feet were still ready to spring, and glanced at him. He wore a broad smirk, and behind him the chuckling crowd of Dauntless lurched their eyes towards me. But it wasn't taunting, like those at school were when they pushed around smaller kids. No, it was humorous, it was all in good nature.

The boy's shoulders gripped firmly onto my shoulder and dug into the fabric of my shirt, before leaning down and pressing his face near mine. He was in such a close proximity I was expecting him to try and kiss me, but instead he just breathed in my face. His breath was repulsive, and it made me twist my head to the side to avoid it. His face contorted back into a straight face, and he spoke with laughter lacing his tone, "Now, now. No need to act so defensive around us. We won't hurt you."

I don't know if he was insulting me or reassuring me, but it felt haunting either way. He drew himself back from my face and towards my ear, as if he held some sort of secret he wanted to tell me. Perhaps he was going to tell me I was never going to survive initiation, or make fun of my because of my origins. Either way, it sent a shudder coursing through my body.

"The name's Ashton, yours?" Very unexpected. It took me a moment to get myself together to answer him. My eyes searched the expectant crowd, as if they had been expecting the same thing as me. I understood what Ashton was doing at that very moment. My lips curled into a smile, and I leaned over to whisper back into his ear, my breath hot against the side of his face, "Dominik."

The group on the other side of the train gave a slight gasp, and began murmuring among themselves, but continued to wear their smiles and grins. Ashton pulled back and nodded, removing his hand from my shoulder and turning to face the crowd. He stepped to the side to give me room to get up myself, before announcing his voice. It was different this time; he was addressing his family and not a stranger. It was warm and inviting.

"This is Dominik, everyone. He's an initiate from Amity and will be tested alongside me and the other initiates. However," He exhaled, turning his head towards me, "I do believe he will be of some competition for his other transfers; thus we welcome him as one of our own until he proves us wrong."

He settled back down near his own family (I was able to tell because they looked all like him. It seems that red hair was a genetic trend in those kinds of families) and motioned for me to join him. I could hear murmurs among the crowd, a mixture of "he's got guts", "what do you think will happen?" and occasionally the "he'll never survive". But will I?

Beside Ashton was a young woman who looked almost exactly like him. A twin, perhaps. She extended her hand as I settled down, and when I went to reach it she gripped my hand until my fingertips turned white. Despite the petite appearance this girl had, she had the strength of a wild boar. Ashton chuckled and pat his sister on the back, "Stop it, sis, you're squeezing the life outta him."

My eyes flashed towards him and gave my silent thanks, and his sister scoffed and pulled her hand away. Her voice, although a bit older, was much less scary than Ashton's. It seemed that even with her hidden strength she was still just a little girl. Well, a little girl that was also my own age. Her arms crossed over her chest as she retorted, "If he can't handle my handshake, then he will never survive in initiation."

That's right. I wasn't even a member yet. But neither was Ashton or his sister. We were all going to be competing against each other and even if we were friends now, we soon wouldn't be. My eyes glanced over the two as they began tussling, their hands pressed tightly on one another in attempts to shove each other over. Suddenly, what seemed to be a bigger sibling charged and jumped both of them, tackling them to the ground in a heaping mess of screeches and laughter. I smiled. Maybe we would be enemies on the field, but for now we could be friends.

I dozed off and had just began to dream about Wren when I was shaken awake. Ashton grabbed my shoulder once more and began lurching it back and forwards in rather violent motions-of course, it was all in good nature for it took quite a lot to wake me up, even from a light sleep. With a sharp inhale, I glanced outside the partly-open doors of the train. The sun was setting, and I realized it was way past noon. We had only been riding the train for an hour, but it seems the whole landscape had altered drastically.

Buildings hugged the sides of the train, now on elevated tracks, as we rode through the city. I hardly knew this area, although the Dauntless compound was close to my old home. Or, at least I thought. None of us ever really knew where they came from, we only knew that they just appeared. We figured they'd be near the wall where most worked each day, but I guess we were wrong about that. I smiled, and imagined myself coming home and telling my parents, and having them argue with me. Wren of course would sit on the sidelines and watch with an innocent smile.

But then I realized, that isn't my home anymore. This is my new home, with these new people. My eyes pulled back to the ground behind me, which were all standing up and brushing dirt off of their clothes. I knew what was going to happen. We were going to jump. Ashton's sister, who I learned was named Erin, had walked over to me and stayed close to me. Her lips quivered with anticipation as she spoke, "We're almost here. All you have to do is jump as far and as high as you can. It looks impossible but trust me, it's hard to miss the building."

I furrowed my brows. Well, it wasn't as bad as I expected. I figured that we would be making the long trip to the ground from here, but the nearby buildings that embraced the sides of the train gave me the reality I was secretly hoping for. Back in Amity, we had many physical activities that involved jumping from high places. Cliff jumping, diving, all things I loved to do. Except this time it would be on building instead of water or soft grasses.

Rows and rows of Dauntless began to jump on a low-leveled building as we passed, and soon it would be our turn. It was lower than the other nearby infrastructures, but only by a few stories. Most of them made it, and the ones who didn't were helped up the sides. I felt the same rush of adrenaline I felt when jumping on the train, and I couldn't help but feel my legs tremble. I couldn't do it. I was too shaky and it was too far of a jump. I would slip and fall to my death.

No, I have to do this. I can't die, and I can't become factionless. I am stronger than this. With a sharp inhale, I gripped the shirt that hung loosely on my chest, and I waited for Ashton and Erin to go. Scores of people began pouring out of our cart, and soon enough I felt myself pushed in with the group. We all jumped with as little people as we could. If we all jumped at once, people would collide into one another and fall. Although the Dauntless were reckless, I thought, they had some logic to them.

My feet lifted from the cart as someone shoved their hands into my back, and I felt myself flinging across open air. For the split second I was airborne I felt weightless, and it seemed to take hours before my hand grappled the pipe on the top of the building. My feet just dangled off the edge, but I was far enough on to hoist myself up. My heart jumped in my chest, and I could feel myself huffing and gasping for breath. It was only after a few minutes that I felt stinging pain in my shoulder.

Ashton reared up behind me soon after I landed, and he furrowed his brows as my face contorted into several different looks. A small bought of laughter escaped his throat. "You havin' a seizure, new kid?"

"No.." I whispered between gritted teeth, my hands clenching my shoulder. It didn't feel broken, but it sure as hell didn't feel like I just scraped it. Perhaps it was a pulled muscle. I reared my shoulder blade back and began to run my fingers across the flesh, painfully massaging the flesh. "Just fell on my shoulder wrong. It'll be fine."

"We can take you to the nurse once we get to the compound." Ashton's face seemed to turn a bit more serious, but my own humorous glare sent a reassuring wave through him. Anyone in Dauntless who was permanently injured didn't live a good life, and sometimes either committed suicide or became factionless. We all knew that.

Soon enough, the train's Dauntless passengers filed out onto the top of the wide building, and it seemed that everyone was safe from harm. Perhaps even I was the only slightly-injured one. I was just about to open my mouth to ask Ashton where the transfers were, but I was cut off by a booming voice on the other side of the building. My eyes followed the sound to a silhouette, and I had to squint my eyes in order to get a good look at him. The sun was setting behind his back. Ah, how typical of Dauntless culture.

"Welcome, new and returning initiates. My name is Regan, but you can all call me Reggie. I am one of the three leaders of Dauntless." His voice was older than mind, but it was still quite youthful. Too young to be like the other leaders in other factions. But perhaps that was a trend here. Attempting to devoid myself from thinking, I began to focus on Reggie, hoping to take in all I could about my new faction's kind. I cannot afford to slip up in this stage.

"As most of you already know, we take our ability to conquer our fears very seriously in Dauntless. You have already jumped on and off a moving train, congrats on that, but now you've got to conquer another one before you can even think of reaching the compound," Reggie shouted as he stepped aside, revealing a clear pathway to the edge of the building (the only place that wasn't secure with walls, perhaps knocked down in the beginning of the faction's time just for this test).

The leader adjusted the collar of his shoulder and took a slight inhale, before continuing on as a smirk crawled onto his lips. "You will each take turns jumping off the building. It's a long way down, but don't worry, as long as you think you'll be safe, that will probably be your answer. What is waiting for you at the bottom? Well, that's for you to find out."

And just like that, the group moved forwards in unison towards the edge. I had managed to wedge my way into the crowd, but was soon pushed to the front with the rest of the transfers. Ashton, Erin and their group were in a line behind us. Beside me were two girls holding hands-best friends, perhaps, because they looked nothing alike. Together they must have come from Candor because they had the white and black accents that typical Candor had. On the other side of them, a boy pushed up his cracked glasses (possibly from the train ride) and tightened his grip on his pant's leg. On the other side of me, a fellow Amity boy stood. I hardly recognized him. His hair was cut short and his eyes were narrowed too much I could barely see them. Perhaps he was one of those kids that nobody ever really knew.

"As always, the transfers will go first. Somebody step forwards and become the first jumper," Reggie taunted us with a smile, eyeing the Erudite boy especially. I secretly desired to go first, but he was focusing on the boy. If I were to go first perhaps I would put him into trouble by nothing make the first move. But then I thought; no, this isn't Abnegation. This is my time to do the best I can and I cannot think about others until I am finished with initiation. Immediately, I stepped forwards, and my eyes seared into Reggie's, "I'll go first."

"Ahh, what a brave soul." Reggie cackled, and the crowd behind me shrieked with shouts and hollers, filled with taunts and cheers all the same. My hands begin to quiver, and as I neared the edge I promised myself I wouldn't look down into the dark, misty abyss. Behind me the crowd chanted for me to jump, and I did just that. I would please the crowd I had to appeal in order to gain my rank among the Dauntless.

My feet lifted off the concrete (this time almost naturally, because of all the reckless jumping I have already done today) and I began the drop into the hole between the adjacent buildings. The wind rushed through my body, and I couldn't help but release a joyful scream as I fell into the blackness. I could feel my body naturally twisted onto my feet, but when I looked down I began to notice the outlines of people forming a bridge with their hands. I couldn't land on them feet-first, that would mean more injury.

Even with my injured shoulder, I managed to swing myself onto my back with a painful groan, and before I collided with the ground I felt the warmth of flesh all around me. Arms, hooked into one another, created a net that captured me flawlessly. They soon shoved me off, and all of them broke apart to congratulate me on being the first jumper. I smirked, and even with my hurt arm I managed to wipe away the pain.

The group leader broke off and called upwards, announcing my successful fall and calling for another person to come down. I was directed to sit along the sides of the clearing, and I watched as the other Amity boy fell, then the Candor girls, and then finally the Erudite. It seemed that he needed some coaxing in order to get down. His landing was sloppy, and his glasses fell off of his face and hit the ground once again, this time shattering into many small pieces.

Dauntless members informed the restless boy that it was a sign of the beginning of his initiation, and that it was just the first step to becoming a Dauntless. I imagine myself in Erudite glasses, walking down hallways lined with books and passing by emotionless drones who couldn't keep their noses out of them. But then I imagined Jeanine, and the way that life flickered wildly in her eyes. Jeanine and this boy gave me two sides of Erudite I was curious to see, curious to meet, and I wanted to see which one was the true side. But I could wait.

Eventually, all the initiates came down and we began to head down the tunnel. We were introduced to our instructors before we left; Noah Lamii, who was going to instruct us transfers, and his brother Chance Lamii, who was going to instruct the Dauntless-born. They both seemed stern and rough, but Chance seemed the worse of the two. I was thankful for that.

"This is where we part," Noah announced, his eyes scowering the crowd. Reggie had fallen behind the group to make sure nobody would go another way, and the two instructors took the lead. Now the path began to open up and part in many different directions, and we stopped just at the intersection where the larger path divided into two smaller ones. Noah took to the right, and Chance took to the left.

Chance crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, his voice a lot deeper and older than Noah's but the same when it came to menacing. His foot tapped on the ground as he overlooked the Dauntless-born initiates, "I will be taking those born into the faction, while Noah will be taking the transfers for a tour around the place."

With a curt nod towards his brother, the older one set off with half of the group. Ashton gave me a curt nod and his sister waved me off as they disappeared into the darkness, and I was stuck with the four others who joined me in my group. My shoulders arched as I realized I was the tallest out of all of them-almost level to the other Amity transfer who came-and I couldn't help but feel the strongest out of the group. I was the first jumper. I was brave.

We began to walk down the hallways and with each step my movements turned more confident. The echoing sound of feet pounding against the rock surface could be both felt and heard. Noah had taken the lead but in our small group, the Erudite boy hung behind and the two Candor girls huddled in the middle, holding onto each other. The fellow Amity boy clung to the side of the group and gazed off to himself. I alone took the lead.

Eventually the cave opened up to reveal a large pit with stone walls and narrow walkways. It was dimly lit with vibrant blue lights and shops nestled into the rock wall. It was an underground metropolis, and it caught my attention almost immediately. My mouth gaped in wonder as Noah spoke, "Welcome to the Pit. This is where you'll spend most of your leisure time."

The Pit was full of activity as little kids ran along the rocky walkways and their parents chased after them. Running was a common occurrence in Amity, but not in such a dangerous place as this. The pit was huge and it led down to a flat surface of rock on the bottom. Anyone who landed there from the highest point would most likely suffer from serious injuries; perhaps even death. I shuddered at the thought, but Noah continued going and I had to catch up with the group.

He led us down another pathway until it opened up to another area. I could hear rushing water and moisture hitting my face as we came across a large waterfall, which led down to another dead end. Except this time, the pointed rocks and sheer force of the fall would kill someone instantly. Now this sent shivers up my spine. Noah smirked as us initiates widened our eyes and held our breaths, and casually strode over to the falls, "This is the chasm. I recommend you stay away from here if you're disoriented, or you'll be in for a huge surprise."

With a cackle, he finally told us the tour was over and that we were going to head to our dorms. I knew about the Amity dorms (I visited them often when I welcomed the new initiates, which is an Amity tradition for teenagers), and I knew that the rooms had multiple beds in them. I knew I would have to spend my whole initiation with those who were both my enemies and my friends. I glanced over the shaky crowd, my brows furrowing-well, acquaintances.

He led us back through the Pit and back to the intersection where we left Ashton and his group, and he led us down the path that they took. I figured that perhaps we would be in the same dorm as them, but as we went past a room with a loud amount of noise, I couldn't help but depict Erin's voice among them. We weren't going to be with them. Oh, how I wish I was.

We were led a few more doors down and into a big room that was lined on each side with beds, a window placed at the top of the room to give us the sunlight we need. The room was tall and long, and it seemed more like a hospital than anything. Yet I didn't complain-it could be worse. This could be a dungeon or we could have to sleep on rocks or in the Pit. I shuddered at the thought of how cold stone would feel on my head, but shook it off when Noah each assigned us our own beds.

I was put at the end of the room next to one of the two Candor girls and across from the Amity initiate. Beside the Amity boy was the other Candor girl, and beside her was the Erudite boy. Two in my row and three in the other. It was a cozy fit because of all the empty beds lining the rows. We would have a lot of room for just the small number of us.

Noah scoffed slightly when he noticed the trend too, and sat down on the extra bed next to the brown-haired Candor girl next to me. He spoke loudly, his voice a bit softer than before but with a stern edge still laced within it; "This is the smallest group we've seen in years. We know about the sickness that killed infants, and their generation that was coming, but we didn't expect this little."

He shrugged it off and got up, before pointing to the clock that hung above us on the far side of the room, ticking slowly and loud enough for us all to hear. I then realized how late it was. The Choosing Ceremony and the train ride here took up a lot of time, and I knew my parents would be having dinner by now. Except it was dinner with one empty seat, well, if they didn't burn the chair I used to sit in.

As I was spacing off, I could hardly hear Noah announce that dinner was in half an hour and that it would be wise to get dressed in their temporary Dauntless clothing. Currency here was hard to earn and I knew that even with the few dollars I had, it would be hard to buy clothes anytime soon. I would perhaps have to do work for someone or ask to borrow money. Either way, I was satisfied with ridding myself of the bright Amity clothing and putting on the rather dark jeans and T-shirt they offered us as temporary clothing.

Changing in front of people was no problem as long as they didn't gawk, and I couldn't help but feel the Erudite boy's eyes on me as he studied me for any sign of weakness. He doesn't have brawns, I thought, but he sure has brains. The Candor girls had slipped off into the bathrooms to escape the boys, and the other Amity boy had refused to get out of his clothing. I furrowed my brows. Did he not feel the haunting stares that scorched into his back when he wore the colors of red and yellow?

I wanted to shed my colors so bad I didn't even care I ripped my old shirt a bit as I tugged it off, and tossed it lazily to the ground. When I was finished getting dressed I shoved the clothes under my mattress and sat on my bed, waiting for everyone else to get ready. Soon enough the Erudite boy had dressed out and the two girls came back in with their new clothes on and their old ones in hand. They were a little big on them, and it made me chuckle.

Then suddenly, one of the Candor girls came in the middle of our collection of beds and said the very first words spoken between us; "Okay, listen, we can't be this silent our whole initiation. I'm not going to put up with being bored the whole time because you all are too dumb to speak."

I guess they didn't talk on the train, either. I quirked my brows and leaned up in my bed, and because of the movement the Candor girl flinched and looked towards me with wild eyes. I had scared her. A grin grew on my face as I scratched the back of my head, trying to put on the normal nice-guy attitude I had on when I was in Amity. I would be able to develop myself more in Dauntless, but until then, it would be best to win the hearts of others before I did anything reckless.

My voice, having not been used for a good hour, was a bit croaky at first but then it cleared up with every word: "I agree with you. Let's start with our names, shall we? I'm Dominik Alrekur."

The Amity boy perked up at my name, and the girls smiled as if nothing else happened but my introduction. The Erudite boy glanced on with a certain inferno to his eyes, but they were not out of anger or irritation. I wasn't able to identify the emotion. The second, shorter Candor girl spoke up and clapped her hands, "I'm Jessie, and this is Jocelyn."

Jocelyn, who seemed to be the leader of the two and the one who spoke up to us finally, gave a slight nod towards the Amity and Erudite boys. Finally, after a few moments of silence, the smart one lifted his voice. "Samuel."

"Nice to meet ya, Sam." I nodded, and Samuel grew a scowl and crossed his arms over his chest, "That's Samuel, please."

I ignored him and turned to the Amity boy, who seemed to be the most distant and unwilling to talk out of all three of us. Was he even going to say his name? I wouldn't know. But finally he spoke up, his eyes glinting into mine, "I'm Matthew."

Matthew. Matt. The name struck me immediately and so hard that I had to get up out of my bed and ask him again just to make sure, "Matthew.. Matthew Suin?" He nodded.

Matthew Suin was my best friend when I was a kid, but we were separated when his parents moved to the other side of Amity. We would still talk in school, but then his parents withdrew him to homeschool him, afraid that he would choose another faction of Amity. That's how it always was in Amity-the parents always wanted their children to stay with them to make sure they were safe. But how could Matt be here? He wasn't normally Dauntless material. He was silent, collective, and smart. If anything I'd expect him to pick Erudite instead.

But here he was, standing right before me, the only thing changed about him was the length of his hair and the build of his body. He was more lanky than I remembered him, but thin nonetheless, and I couldn't help but begin to notice the distinctive features I remember about him. I grew a grin and reached my hand forwards, grabbing his own, "Nice to see you again, Matt. But why'd you come here?"

He glanced at the clock and shook his head, "I'll explain later. We're late for dinner."


	5. Intermission

_Hey guys! Aoric here. I just wanted to give you all a chance to hear some to hear some fun facts and important information about the story and about me myself. Although this information is important you can totally feel free to skip it and continue on with the story. Have fun!_

**IMPORTANT FACTS:**

- You will find a ton of grammar and spelling mistakes in my writing-I always write as much as I can first then review when I finish the story. It keeps me going because when I go back and look sometimes I get demotivated. If you see a misspelling or something grammatically incorrect, feel free to let me know!

- Updating will be at random because sometimes I can write and sometimes I can't. It's like when I draw. Normally I'm really good at school but school's ending in two weeks. Thankfully I can write easily if I listen to the write music so no worries about having no updates over the summer.

- THIS STORY IS TOTALLY MATURE. Meaning there are bad words, graphic violence, and definitely sex within it. Haha, it's just how I write. I like going into detail. If you'd like me to make a clean version simply request and I will go through and make a completely kid-friendly version of this story.

**FUN FACTS:**

- Whenever someone reads my story silently I freak out and think they don't like it, but whenever they read it out loud I feel more confident. That's why I always have my mother and friends read it out to me.

- If something is grammatically incorrect, but I like the word I used that's wrong, I will sometimes go back and reword the whole sentence to make it fit around the word.

- Writing is the thing that brings me out of my depressing and angry moments. Normally starts with me picking up a book, reading a sentence or two, and then suddenly getting inspirations.

**SONG LIST** (I used these songs when writing DNR):

- Death Cab for Cutie - Your Bruise

- Iain Archer - Everything I've Got

- As Cities Burn - Made Too Pretty

- Lydia - Smile, You've Won

- Les Friction - World on Fire

- Modest Mouse - March Into the Sea

- As Cities Burn - Timothy


End file.
